The Hidden Hand of the Queen
by freifraufischer
Summary: Pre-BroTP Snow Queen. Pre-1.11. Leopold is in the middle of arranging for Snow to be married off to King Midas' 50 year old brother. The queen has other plans for the girl, and no intention of allowing the king to sell his daughter into such a marriage. Is it kindness, or is it something else. Only the queen would ever know.


A long time ago...

The queen's study was tastefully decorated without too many of the trappings of power that might tell a visitor-or the king-how much work she was doing daily. Once she'd ended the arrangement with Rumpelstiltskin her days had been filled with meaning activities. Leopold was known as a good king who took care of his people. In truth that meant he spent a lot of money and threw a lot of parties. Which meant as his queen she attended a lot of balls and managed the castle staff that neither loved her nor respected her.

Though she had learned usefully, that they were afraid of her. Leopold and Snow might be blind to her magic but they were not. And they had seen the child-queen develop in to a cold and distant young woman as the marriage had corroded her soul. Or maybe it was the magic. Regina wasn't sure which anymore.

Leopold as he got older was less and less interested in the affairs of his kingdom. He would make grand pronouncements about peace and justice and happiness, none of which had anything to do with making sure the grain harvest was properly stored, or the roads clear of highwaymen like Robin of Locksley. She had to admit he at least had good propaganda. Rob from the rich to give to the poor, but the poor had nothing worth stealing and it wasn't his place to act as judge on who was and wasn't deserving of what they had. Much of the day to day running of the kingdom had fallen to Leopold's advisers as the King spent more and more of his time walking by the lake and enjoying his old age.

She very much hoped for not much longer.

Regina had managed to convince the king to allow her to participate with his advisers in the running of the kingdom. It was a way she knew, he could be sure she didn't have time for affairs. She kept a diary expressly for his eyes to let him know how much she longed for love and attention. It hadn't taken much for her to gain control of the council of advisers. They were mostly old and weak men like Leopold himself and it was so very easy because they underestimated her.

Once he was dead she would enjoy taking their hearts and making them dance to her tune. She sometimes day dreamed through meetings about those coming days.

Yet her problem now was more immediate. Snow would turn 18 soon, annoyingly she had a ball to organizes for the occasion. Snow had a ball thrown in her honor when she sneezed these days. But while the princess dreamed of courting a young prince, her father had other ideas. King Midas' brother, a man well past a half century, was Leopold's idea of a perfect match for Snow.

And no matter what Regina thought of the little brat, she just couldn't bring herself to allow that. She'd find some way to make the match go south. The girl would die at her hands, but she'd die as pure as the snow she was named after.

* * *

><p>The fall hunt was a massive affair, nobles from not only their own Kingdom, but many of the surrounding ones came to shoot stag and boar and eat the kings bread and drink his wine. Even King George's repulsive son had made it this time, though Regina was sure she saw him sneak away from the party with two serving girls undoubtedly hoping for a royal bastard. Not Regina's concern. Not her kingdom.<p>

She'd been starting to feel like this was her kingdom for the last few seasons. I would be soon. As soon as she found the right tool for the job.

She wasn't actively hunting, but she was better on horseback than most of Leopold's court, so she made it up to ride beside King Midas.

"Your Majesty." She smiled.

"My queen." He bowed his head.

"I was hoping to speak to you about the match."

Midas frowned, but raised an eyebrow. "Nothing has been settled yet."

"I would prefer that your brother become... unavailable."

"That's really a matter for the girl's father to be discussing with me, is it not Regina?"

"Of course it is, but you know Leopold. He's getting on in age and who knows how long he'll be around. I understand he's been resisting your efforts to lease the trading port at Diamond's Point," she casually brought up.

Midas frowned a bit, "It would certainly be very useful to me, but Leopold doesn't wish to transfer the rights over the town."

"As I said, Leopold is old. Things will be different when he's gone."

She just gave him a sweet smile, and was pleased to be rewarded with a shiver from the old bastard. Midas wasn't stupid. He'd get the point.

Within a few tenday word reached King Leopold that the match with Midas' brother was off the table.


End file.
